Happy New Year!! Wow last year really kicked our butts. In a very good way but that 10 days off in December was URGENT:) Now we are energized and ready for a brand new year and SO excited for several fantastic projects already underway and of course our new podcast “Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole” hitting the airwaves the last week of January!!!

We ended the year with a bang – meaning a 10 page spread in Southern Style at Homemagazine published by Hoffman Media. So check your newsstands and grocery stores now! Here is the cover so you can be on the look out:

Now that these gorgeous shots (photographed by Lauren Rubinstein) have hit the stands, we can share this project with you. You will not believe these before and afters! The house was actually well done just extremely dated. We adored our clients – they were up for a complete change, open to ideas, patient and full of helpful feedback. One of our main goals was to redesign the interiors to reflect more of their personal journey and to make selections that were suitable for their lifestyle.

BEFORE OF THE FOYER AND DINING ROOM

AFTER

BEFORE DINING ROOM

AFTER

BEFORE FAMILY ROOM

AFTER

BEFORE KITCHEN

AFTER

BEFORE MASTER BEDROOM

AFTER

FABULOUS HUH??????

I still get giddy looking at these photos. I hope you enjoyed the transformation!

We are off to Florida on Monday to attend KBIS – the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Orlando. Stay warm everybody!

How did we end up on HGTV? We were approached by Departure Films out of New York City last year to work on the interior design for a pilot production of an HGTV show being filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. Of course Kelly and I were up for the challenge and anxious to do something out of our comfort zone.

The show called “Move in or Cash Out” features a full kitchen renovation and complete home makeover. It follows a young couple as they find a dated and undervalued home and, with the help of the hosts, brothers Michael and Charles Holmes, transform it into the home of their dreams. After completing the renovation, the couple must decide if they’d like to move into their newly renovated home or sell it and use the profit to move up the property ladder.

We first started by replacing all the flooring on the main and lower floor with a gorgeous driftwood laminate from Lumber Liquidators and painting the walls Sherwin Williams SW7022 – Alpaca.

Check out the before and afters!

THE FAMILY ROOM: Adding sheet rock to the paneling, a bright paint color, some light furniture and some pops of color totally gave this room a current look.

THE LIVING ROOM: This room needed some serious TLC. Notice the dated parquet wood flooring and the massive ceiling with no interest. Some beautiful bright furnishings and a new ceiling really gave this room the look it needed!

THE KITCHEN: This was an extensive renovation and, in my opinion, provided the biggest bang for the buck. You hear it time and again that a kitchen renovation yields the best return on your investment. In this particular case, there was no doubt. Here are a few of the highlights:

1. Updated cabinets to the ceiling

2. Canned lighting

3. Stainless steel appliances

4. Hanging pendants over the sink

5. Glass subway tile backsplash

6. Stainless range hood

6. Brizo faucet

To see the rest of the home and find out if the couple moves in or cashes out, you will have to watch or TIVO the show being aired on HGTV Saturday 10/11/14 at 2pm.

Needless to say it takes a village to make these transformations so we could not do this without the help of so many. In no particular order, we would like to thank the following:

Departure Films– for giving us the opportunity to participate in this project

To say this was a truly fascinating experience would be an understatement. We learned a lot about an industry we knew very little about and met some great people. In the end, after viewing the show and not knowing how it would eventually turn out, we are pretty proud of the outcome.

We hope you take the time to watch it this weekend or tape if for future viewing. I think you’ll really like it!

What does one do when the famous Brizo brand comes a calling and asks you to design a kitchen for the national launch of their latest product – The Artesso Collection? Personally, I acted very calm, cool and collected, politely and graciously accepted the offer and then promptly hung up the phone gasping for air and sweating with nerves:)

It’s been over a year in the making, but we can finally announce that Kandrac & Kole Interior Designswas given the honor of designing a kitchen that celebrates the birth of the newBrizo Artesso collection – particularly the bridge faucet and pot filler. The Artesso collection launches today!

Inspired by detailed, early 20th century metal works, the Artesso™ suite isBrizo® brand’s newest kitchen collection. The collection, named for a variation of the Portuguese word for artisan, incorporates masculine, hand-forged design nuances with sophisticated aesthetics.

“We drew inspiration from iron-workings dating back to the early 1900s,” said Sarah Schlifke, Brizo product marketing manager. “The industrial, yet refined, design will modernize any kitchen while offering a chic and functional focal point for the counter space.”

The Artesso kitchen collection by Brizo is a full kitchen suite featuring a single-handle pull-down faucet, a two-handle bridge design, a sleek bar faucet and a matching soap dispenser. The single-handle pull-down faucet is available with optional Brizo SmartTouch®Technology, allowing users the option to activate the flow of water with a simple touch anywhere on the spout, hub or handle. This unique functionality makes it easy to turn the faucet on only when needed, helping to reduce water usage, while enabling efficiency of motion during prep work and cleanup.

The team at Brizo sent me a series of inspirational mood boards illustrating how their trend research had led them to the design of the Artesso faucet. The feel was to be industrial and chic but with a relatable vibe that included pops of color, natural wood and brushed finishes. After a few conference calls with Brizo’s PR firm, I was given free reign to create a kitchen saluting this beautiful new faucet.

There was something about the Brizo inspiration pages and the bridge design of the Artesso faucet that instantly reminded me of summers in my grandmother’s kitchen in Westhampton, NY.

The talented production team atBrizo then set to work building this kitchen on a set in Indianapolis. (Note to my designer friends: yes, this tested all of my Type A, control freak tendencies to not be involved with construction or stylizing). The final result came amazingly close to my design:

The full kitchen suite will be available September 2014 in the following finish options: Polished Chrome, Brilliance®Stainless, Venetian Bronze® and Brilliance®Polished Nickel finishes.

A huge thank you to Brizo for including Kandrac & Kole in this campaign. We are big fans of the Brizo brand and it was a thrill to be such an integral part of promoting another exceptional new product.

About the Brizo® Brand

Rooted in the fashion and design communities, Brizo is a luxury fittings brand that strives to transform minds, moods and spaces with the belief that fashion is reflected in everything it crafts, every space it inhabits and every vision it brings to life. The Brizo brand has been a primary sponsor for fashion designer Jason Wu since 2006 and has been a national sponsor of the St. Jude Dream Home® Giveaway since 2010. Brizo products are available exclusively at Brizo Impressions Showrooms. Brizo is the luxury brand of faucets and related accessories within the portfolio of Delta Faucet Company, a WaterSense® manufacturing partner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Visit www.brizo.com or call 877-345-BRIZO (2749) for more information and to locate a Brizo Impressions Showroom.

There’s something magical about a room coming together. Magic or meticulous science, one of the two. Here’s a scheme we are currently in love with. It has all of the makings of a perfect room: pattern, emerald green, (almost) shades of gray, and a multitude of textures.

Want to know our secret ingredients to making this dreamy room?

1. The Trellis Wallpaper

Schumachercreates some amazing wallcovering designs and this one is at the top of my list. Its charcoal tone is the perfect shade of gray.

2. The Washed Wood Flooring

The options for white-washing your wood floors are endless, all you need is a perfect shade of paint and a local expert. This inspiration image from Spinnaker Development is just what we were looking for. Try Houzz.com for some ideas and to find a professional near you.

3. The Woven Wallpaper

Perfect for a subtle accent on the back wall of a bookcases, this Thibaut paper is a beauty!

4. The Emerald Pop

This gorgeous fabric from Schumacher was inspired by Mary McDonald’s love of Chinoiserie. It features exotic birds among a flowering tree of peonies and cherry blossoms. The vertical repeat is an amazing 131″. I love the organic print shaded in gray and the on-trend green background is a great contrast.

5. Paint

These two options from Sherwin-Williams really compliment the trellis wallpaper. The soft white is SW7001, Marshmallow and the deep rich gray is SW7019, Gauntlet Gray. Marshmallow is a soft choice for the trim, while Gauntlet will make a bold statement on the built-in bookcases.

6. Embroidered Accent Fabric

Anna French for Thibaut is one of our go-to lines for luxury linens. This Ballad Embroidery has a small and subtle repeat that slightly reflects the Schumacher wallpaper’s graphic pattern. It’s a tone-on-tone classic fabric that will be loved forever.

7. Matchstick Tile

Last but certainly not least is a super chic stone mosaic tile. It is a unique way to tie all of the gray tones together and will look great as a fireplace surround!

So our office move in plans had a big hiccup … sigh…. A lovely storm + new roof in progress + clogged gutter = big leak and a portion of the hardwoods ruined. Ok, a 6’5″ x 16′ area of hardwood ruined. Before the landlord could install tile (GASP!) without even telling us, Joann and I happened to stop by the office (prior to move in), throw a cataclysmic temper tantrum (ok that was me) and halt the tile installation.

Never wanting to experience the rath of Kelly Kole again, the landlord has agreed to install whatever K&K wants in this area. So we’ve decided to have hardwood laid back down and have the new hardwood painted by our most talented decorative artist, Joan. Hmmmm…. the creative possibilities are endless.

Here’s our chance to make lemonade out of lemons – right? Here’s what we’re starting with:

I love the diamond pattern but it’s too overused…….

Should we go with a small scale pattern?

Or a large scale pattern?

Or keep with the historic integrity of the building (very important)

Or throw caution to the wind and just go for it?

Or maybe I could have Joan create my own Madeline Weinrib rug on the floor